Area pushes for rapid transit system

Saturday

Sep 26, 2009 at 12:01 AM

A group of community leaders plans to meet with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., to request federal money for a rapid transit system that would link east and west Gainesville, the University of Florida and Santa Fe College, and major shopping and employment centers.

By Cindy SwirkoStaff writer

A group of community leaders plans to meet with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., to request federal money for a rapid transit system that would link east and west Gainesville, the University of Florida and Santa Fe College, and major shopping and employment centers.The estimated cost is $185 million and would include money from developers of several large projects along the route."It is just a very logical sort of dream that will happen. The question is, how fast?" SFC President Jackson Sasser said. "It conforms to the ethos and ethic of this community from a sustainability perspective, and I really hope it's not just political rhetoric to be committed to east Gainesville."The proposed route includes Gainesville Regional Airport on Northeast 39th Avenue, downtown, UF, Butler Plaza, The Oaks Mall area and SFC.The section that includes downtown and UF would have electric streetcars. The rest of the route would use buses primarily on dedicated lanes.Local officials said lobbying for the project already has begun, noting that it was discussed with Nelson in the President's Box at last weekend's UF football game.Alachua County began planning a bus rapid transit system last year and is in the process of amending its comprehensive plan to more closely link transit to land use.The mixed-use Newberry Village development set for Newberry Road and Fort Clarke Boulevard proposed bus rapid transit to serve the complex and has agreed to pay toward the system.Another planned mixed-use development, Santa Fe Village on Northwest 39th Avenue near Interstate 75, has proposed paying for bus rapid transit from 39th Avenue south on 83rd Street to 23rd Avenue. It eventually would link with Newberry Village.Both developments are represented by Gainesville lawyer David Coffey, who is an architect of the rapid transit plan and among those who will meet with Nelson.

Coffey said the county must look to rapid transit because it cannot build enough roads to handle future car traffic. The local system could become a model for others to follow, he added."In my opinion, the country needs good models because ultimately, in the long run, it is in the national security interest for communities to become sustainable without the kind of reliance that we have today on fossil fuels to provide for our transportation system," Coffey said. "During the last energy crisis, which was less than a year ago, there were people commuting into Gainesville who were spending more than $4.50 a gallon ..."At that rate, he said, a number of commuters were spending more on their trip than they earned when they got there."That wasn't going to work very long, and who knows when that is going to happen again," Coffey said.Coffey said a streetcar system created along an urban corridor in Portland, Ore., sparked considerable development along the route. The density of development also increased.Gainesville Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan said the funding likely would be sought through the next federal transportation bill. She said officials do not know when that will be debated.Hanrahan said in the most recent transportation bill, the city and county together received about $23 million, including money for buses and roads. About $90 million in federal stimulus money is being sought for the construction of Southwest 62nd Boulevard, she added.The city's lobbyist believes a reasonable request for the proposed rapid transit system would be $30 million, Hanrahan said, adding the project likely would have to be done in stages.Hanrahan said she believes the electric streetcar system would ignite growth along the route."It's the fixed investment that actively encourages redevelopment. Anyone who knows there is going to be streetcar service here knows that that is a substantial infrastructure and service investment on the part of local government," she said. "They can make some assumptions about what that will mean for their customer base or their marketability."

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